From Saskatchewan Roots to Global Classrooms – and Back Again: Samira Azzahir’s journey home
Born in Swift Current and raised in Moose Jaw, Samira Azzahir is a proud Saskatchewanian. For over 100 years Samira’s family has been farming near Mossbank; quite a contrast in scenery for her father who is from the island of Grenada in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
Samira earned a BA in Humanities with a major in Global Literature from the University of Calgary and is currently completing her master’s at First Nations University of Canada in Indigenous Curriculum Development.
Position
Development Officer, Philanthropy
Areas of Focus
Faculty of Social Work, Archer Library & Archives, UR International, La Cité universitaire francophone, Faculty of Education, Planned Giving
Tell us about your journey leading up to your role as a development officer at the University of Regina.
Well, I moved back to Saskatchewan in March 2024 after spending more than a decade teaching in Nassau, the Bahamas. My focus was literature and Indigenous restoration. I directed a Rite of Passage program for a small private school and am still working to expand the program nationally. I started my journey with First Nations University of Canada as an international online student, but was called back to Saskatchewan to help take care of my mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2021. I consider myself lucky to have come back in time to sit on the porch and talk with her, before the disease took over. I visit every weekend; sometimes she recognizes me, sometimes she doesn’t, but I honour our standing date each Saturday.
I have two beautiful teenagers at home, along with my Dad, who lives with me also. I feel this was the perfect time in my life to shift gears and come home. I missed the prairie skies and the fullness of four seasons.
What are some of your professional highlights up to this point in your career?
Working with kids. I am very proud of the work I have done with Bahamian teens to develop a stronger sense of their cultural heritage and using that to build a framework for understanding self, community, and the ecology of the planet through the Rite of Passage program I developed and directed. That work led me to pursue my degree at the First Nations University of Canada in Indigenous Curriculum Development. I hope to graduate in Spring 2027.
I am also very proud of the work I have done to support policy change in Ramsey County, Minnesota, on behalf of the Cultural Wellness Center. After sitting in on a series of sessions with the Director of the County Health Department, I reported on findings that made policy change possible. This was an incredible learning experience for me that changed how I saw policy implementation; it is not as rigid as it would seem – policy and law are deeply interpretive and that interpretation can protect some and impede others if it’s not implemented fairly across communities.
What does your role as a development officer involve?
My previous work experiences have had a tremendous impact on my success in Philanthropy, which is in truth, built on community connection and storytelling. I have the honour of seeing some of the world’s greatest minds explore ideas that have a tremendous impact on our day-to-day lives. Being able to capture the essence of that work and share it with others to build networks of support inspires me.
What motivated you to pursue this career path?
This role felt like a good fit with my past experience. I thrive in intellectually challenging spaces, and I am tethered to Saskatchewan in so many ways. I understand the heartbeat of the people here and have a global perspective that allows for connection on a wider scale.
What are some of your favourite hobbies and passions?
Art – I enjoy painting. I hope to invest more time in building a more substantial art practice. I also like gardening and watching indie films.
Want to learn more about the University Advancement team? Read past profiles: Trudy & Maria | Claudia Whitehawk | Paul Sawaya.
Banner photo credit: Samira Azzahir